Storm Of Blades
by Alex McM
Summary: 7 years after the tragedy in the North two claymores are sent to scout the since abandoned town of Pieta. There are buried secrets in the desolate little town and once uncovered the world as they know it will be changed forever!
1. Chapter 1

Yeah! Another epic tale of war, violence, betrayal, more violence and maybe some twisted romance. I know I really should finish off my other stories before writing another one, but I just have too many ideas in my head and I thought I'd get this one down before it's lost. I think this makes nine stories I'm writing at once, but I'll try my best to update this one as soon as possible. This is my first Claymore story, so don't be too critical. I hope you enjoy, and please review!

**Storm Of Blades**

_Prologue_

Two lonely warriors stood alone on a snowy ridge. From their vantage point they could see the whole of the Northern lands from the mountains to the little towns nestled between them. They trudged through the thick layers of snow, their armour clanking in rhythm to their marching.

Both women had sandy blonde hair, though one had long flowing locks, the other had short spikes. The girl with longer hair held a hand out and stopped her comrade.

"What's wrong Serene?"

"Be quiet! I hear voices!" Serene whispered harshly. "Listen."

Both girls listened to the wind as it howled fiercely, spewing snow into their faces. The girl with short hair frowned.

"I don't hear anything..."

"Oh. Maybe it was just the wind...Never mind. Let's go."

They marched on down from the ridge, through craggy peaks and over deep chasms. The land was treacherous, but their opponent was far worse should they ever meet. They were sent here on a routine search mission to the northern lands in search of a monster...A monster far more powerful than they could ever imagine.

The two girls approached a ruined town and both nodded to each other before placing shaking hands on their Claymores. The wind bit into them through their thin uniforms. Even with their superhuman abilities, they were still susceptible to the effects of the cold.

"No wonder the yoma never come here. It's so damn cold!" The shorter haired girl whined.

"Be quiet Gwen!" Serene snarled. Her silver eyes sparkled for the briefest of moments.

They continued on through the town until they came to a large square where large skeletons rotted in the earth. Layers of snow covered their bones and bleached them to a perfect shade of white. The vacant eyeless skulls glared at the approaching enemy. In total there were only about ten of the skeletons.

Serene walked up to one and placed a delicate hand on the fleshless demon. "Yoma...it must have been dead for years."

"Maybe it was from that incident? Remember the war in the North? They sent a huge group of Warriors here and every single one of them died!"

"That's just a rumour..." Serene whispered. "The organization despises us as much as the yoma, but they wouldn't send so many soldiers to their deaths..."

"But it's true! I'm sure we'll find their bones out here somewhere!"

"Shut up!" Serene growled. "It's just a tale to scare us! Now let's hurry up and search this desolate little town!" She stormed off ahead of her partner through the town, leaving her friend to chase after her.

Gwen sprinted up to her partner who had stopped at the edge of the town. Her eyes were fixated on something in the distance. Gwen drew her large sword and squinted through the snow storm.

"Serene! What's out there?"

The question was met with silence so Gwen repeated herself. "Hey! What's wrong with you?"

Serene's arm twitched and suddenly jerked up spasmically. Her fist was clenched but one lone finger unfurled to point straight ahead.

"What?" Gwen followed the pointing finger but still saw nothing. She ran out further and eventually found it. "Oh my god...What is this?"

Serene soon joined her and together they stared at the remarkable discovery...

A procession of claymores sticking out of the ground in organised rows. Each blade signified a fallen warrior. Each one, a gravestone for the victims of the war in the North.

"The tales...They were true!" Serene screamed. "I thought it was a lie just to scare us...but they really did send these warriors to their deaths!"

"No, wait! Something's not right!" Gwen raised her hand shakily. "If they all died...Then who put up the grave markers?"

Serene and Gwen fell silent and stared in awe at the strange sight. After a tense silence Serene broke the unnerving lack of noise.

"There are only 17 of them..."

"What?"

"The story said that 24 claymores were sent here, but there are only 17 graves! That must mean there were survivors!" Serene spun on her heels and squinted through the snow-storm. "Someone is here."

"Maybe it's the yoma! They must have followed us from the town!" Gwen drew her sword and scanned the barren snowy land.

A large shadow approached them. There was no yoki flowing from the intruder, so it had to be human, but there was still an unnerving presence that hung in the air. As the man came closer the two warriors began hurling threats.

"Stay back!" Gwen roared. "Don't come any closer or we'll have no choice but to-"

"Claymore..." The man muttered.

"What?" Gwen snarled. "What do you want?"

"You are Claymores...Please...Help me." The man wore a thick fur cloak with a hood. A large sword was strapped to his back and wrapped in cloth.

"Go away! We can't help you!" Gwen swung her sword in a threatening manner but the man continued to walk towards her.

"Serene, what do we do?"

"Claymore..."

"Will you shut up!" Gwen slammed the flat of her sword into the man's head, knocking him down into the snow. His hood fell down and revealed a young face and kind brown eyes. The man groaned and held his bruised forehead.

"What's your name?" Serene asked.

The man coughed and then thought for a moment, as if he'd forgotten his own name. "R-Raki."

"What the hell is he doing out here anyway? I thought this place was abandoned ever since the battle all those years ago?" Gwen looked down at the man and frowned. "You do know this is practically just a giant graveyard don't you? Why are you here?"

"Clare..."

"Huh?" the short haired warrior asked. "Is that a relative or something?"

"Clare." The man repeated, stressing the name.

"Maybe he's a simple person from a nearby town. He could have been chucked out by his village and left out here." Serene sighed. "I guess we'll have to keep him with us for now. We'll take him to the next town and dump him there."

Raki rose to his feet and reached for his sword. Both warriors reacted instinctively and prepared to fight. The man unwrapped his sword and held it out, displaying the flat of the blade rather than the edge.

"Is he going to try and fight us?" Gwen asked her comrade with a confused expression.

"Clare..." Raki said again, thrusting the sword forwards.

"This is irritating! Let's just put him to rest and bury him before anyone finds out!"

"No!" Serene raised a hand and stared at the Raki's' sword. "Look at that."

"It's a sword, what about it?" Gwen said sarcastically.

"No! That symbol just above the hilt!" Serene pointed to the small engraving on the blade.

"It looks like one of our symbols..." Gwen remarked.

"Maybe Clare was a warrior." Serene mused. "But why would he be searching for her? Humans never interact with us..."

"Should we bring him back with us then?"

Raki growled and struck his sword in the ground. "Clare! Clare!" He then sliced the ground several more times in a seemingly random pattern, but on closer inspection, it was the odd symbol on the sword, drawn in the snow.

"Hmm, we'd better keep him with us. Now let's go. The cold must be killing him..." Serene turned to Raki but was pushed aside roughly and thrown into the snow. She looked up in time to see the man rush off into the mist past the mass grave.

"Should we follow him?" Gwen asked, juggling her sword anxiously.

Serene nodded and her partner ran off ahead. She got back on her feet and chased after them. They ran through the deep snow, which continued to get thicker until they were forced to wade through it.

They found the man kneeling beside a cave mouth. They approached him slowly and noticed something sticking out of the snow. It was half buried but it was unmistakeable. It was another claymore.

"Another grave." Gwen ducked down and wiped the dust away from the marker and stared at the symbol. "Uh oh...The symbol!"

Serene joined her friend and frowned. "It's the same as on his sword...He's been searching for a dead warrior..."

"Clare!" Raki cried, pointing frantically at the cave.

"Geez, what now?" Gwen folded her arms in irritation.

"Just go in." Serene sighed.

The three of them headed inside, unsure of what they would discover. What they found would start a horrific chain of events that would threaten to destroy the world they knew and bring about an age of darkness the likes of which they had never seen!

And the coming battle would go down in history as the Storm Of Blades...

Hmm, that got you hooked yet? Well anyway, for a while you may notice some similarities to the manga, but not too much. Hopefully you liked that and you will write a review. Seriously though, review!


	2. Chapter 2

_Uncovered _

In a rich, valley in the centre of the continent a group of five warriors stood at the base of a waterfall. They looked around nervously, certain their prey was nearby. The gushing water made a constant roar that was near deafening. The wind howled and whistled menacingly as it blew through the tall trees which bore luscious, green foliage.

This area was a scene of tranquil beauty, but the village only a short walk away was a different matter. The people had all been massacred, their bodies torn apart as if they were made of paper. Rivers of blood flooded through the streets and into the forest where it had mixed with the water which ran to the waterfall.

The small squad were still hunting the monster responsible for the attack, tracing the vile smell of yoma to this waterfall.

The smallest of the group, a small woman with rounded cheeks and narrow eyes began to shuffle about anxiously. Her amour clanged together as she moved. Her lithe fingers were already wrapped tightly around the handle of her sword.

The others were less concerned.

"Natalie, calm yourself. The yoma has not even shown himself yet." A tall woman explained. She had a thick mop of a fringe which covered the majority of her face. Only a thin patch where her left eye was located could be seen through her dull blonde hair.

"That's why someone in the thirties shouldn't be coming on an awakened hunt!" A snappy little woman argued. Her voice was an irritating shrill whine that would be more suited to a child than an adult.

"Quiet Lynette!" The thick-fringed woman retaliated sharply. Her comrades all went silent and each head turned in unison to face the rushing water. "Shit! He's been hiding here the whole time! Take up our formations and don't do anything reckless!"

The waterfall exploded in a spray of whitewash, concealing the hideous creature within. The demon landed at the feet of the small woman who cried out and swung her sword instinctively. Her blind slash missed completely and the monster grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up to his face.

"Help!" Natalie screamed as the monster breathed its fetid breath into her face. It reeked of rotting flesh and its spittle burned her cheeks as it flecked her pale skin.

Lynette struck from behind, slicing through the monsters side. It roared and used it's free hand to backhand the female warrior, sending her hurtling into the rocky cliff-face. Lynette slammed face-first into the dark rocks and a sickening splatter made everyone wince. Already dead, Lynette's corpse fell into the waterfall and dropped far below to be mutilated on the sharp rocks.

"LYNETTE!" One of the claymores hopped down to find her friend, abandoning the others who bravely fought on.

"You bastard!" The leader roared, thrusting her sword into the monsters stomach and forcing an eruption of purple blood. The awakened being howled in agony and swiped at the warrior who leapt out of the way and then countered with another attack. While he was distracted the last warrior began slicing wildly at the awakened's back, splitting open his armoured scales and exposing his softer flesh beneath which released torrents of dark blood.

Enraged, the awakened being hurled the small claymore into a tree and then turned his attention to the two who were fighting him.

"Gale, get his attention and I'll finish him off!" The fringed leader commanded.

Gale did as instructed and ran around the side of the creature and began feigning a slow sword strike. The awakened bared its fangs and growled confidently. It raised one hand and pointed its clawed fingers towards the seemingly foolish warrior. He was just about to unleash his extendable claws when a thick blade embedded itself in his skull. His own blood seeped into his eyes and his wretched life soon came to an end.

The surviving Claymores regrouped and then went down to the waterfall where they found their two missing companions.

The survivor was clutching the fractured and broken body of Lynette, sobbing like a lost child.

The leader frowned. "Lynette was Catia's best friend since joining the organisation...Let her mourn in peace. Let us just be thankful that there was only one victim this time."

"This time?" Gale asked while supporting the wounded Natalie.

"Well, a week ago number seven and number twelve went to Pieta. They never returned. I think they may have been-"

"Number seven? Serene? No way could she die! She's invincible!" Natalie argued feebly.

"Even the greatest warriors eventually get killed. Remember the story of Theresa?" The mention of the tale brought shivers to the few Claymores present. That tale was a dark story, a chapter of the past that was better left untold. The demon that killed Theresa on that fateful day was still at large and the mention of it still conjured nightmares.

The small hunting party all hung their heads and sighed. "Our mission is done. Let's go back." Gale began walking away but their leader was frozen in place, staring through the trees with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Natalie asked.

"I...I sense something far in the north...Something...Terrible!" The leader clutched herself and shivered. "Hurry, let us go!" She pushed the others ahead and made them run back to the Organizations base.

Meanwhile, far in the North, The terrible presence could be felt even more strongly by the two trapped Claymores. Gwen and Serene held each other protectively, weeping like little children.

There was a cave-in almost immediately after they entered. The fallen debris had completely blocked off the exit and it would take days of endless, mind-numbing hacking to cut through it with their own weapons.

The boy had been knocked unconscious by a falling rock. His head had bled profusely so Serene had to remove her cape and create a makeshift dressing. As strange as he was, his information could be useful to the Organisation...If they survived that long...

The trio set up camp next to the rocky wall that prevented their escape. They sat leaning against the rocks, staring off into the darkness at the unknown horrors that lurked within.

"We should search the tunnel. If there is something alive in here it's best to find it and kill it now rather than have it sneak up while we sleep." Serene took up her sword and approached the looming darkness overhead. She waited for her comrade to join her.

"Leave the kid; he'll only slow us down." Gwen pushed her partner, shoving her further up the silent abyss of the tunnel. They walked through complete darkness, unable to see a thing. Even Yoma couldn't see that well in the dark.

"It's so dark! I can't see!" Gwen whined.

"Hold on, I have an idea." Serene thrust her sword into the roof of the cave and poked a small hole in which a dim trace of light filtered through. It was still incredibly dark, but they could at least see a short distance ahead. "We'll do that every now and then and light our way."

Gwen rolled her eyes and continued her march.

They ventured forth in silence, unsure whether they were alone in this place. Serene stabbed more tiny holes in the cave roof to filter in enough light to see. They progressed slowly down the seemingly endless cave.

Their awkward and tense march resumed for what felt like eternity and eventually they found a large chamber. Serene leapt into the air and created a light hole. She landed nimbly beside her friend and studied the expansive area they had discovered.

The roof was lined with spiky stalactites and the thick rocky walls dripped with melted snow which leaked through from above. A thin layer of snow covered the ground but the crunch of rocks and gravel could still be heard underfoot.

There was a strange sensation coming from the chamber, almost as if there was something living there.

Serene and Gwen stuck together and scanned the room for any unwelcome visitors. Fortunately, their search resulted in nothing other than a dead bat which had been mauled by some kind of predator.

Serene stooped down and poked the dead critter. "It's been deceased for a long time. The ice has preserved it, but whatever killed it would have already left or faced a similar fate itself. We should be safe for the time being."

"You're too smart." Gwen pouted. "Every time you talk I just feel stupid."

"By comparison, you are stupid." Serene said, trying to keep a straight face. She lost her composure and laughed at her own little joke.

Gwen must have taken offence as she was deathly silent, with her back turned to her.

Serene frowned. "Oh come now. I was only joking. I wanted to brighten the mood in here and-" A reflection of light caught her eye and she followed Gwen's gaze towards the icy back wall. "It's a block of ice..."

Gwen choked on her words and tried again, only to fail again. She rasped an unintelligible sound and resorted to pointing at the ice.

"Something...Is inside it?" Serene strolled cautiously towards it and studied the blurred figure trapped within the ice. No matter how hard she squinted, she couldn't make it out. "Step back! I'm going to break it open!"

"No!" Gwen cried, but it fell on deaf ears.

Serene swung her sword in a horizontal arc, slashing the centre of the icy wall and causing a large crack to spread out from the epicentre of the strike. She yanked the blade out of and then swung again, this time aiming for the upper corners. She cleared away a thick chunk and proceeded downwards, slowly digging through the frozen prison.

The operation took some time, but after an hour of hacking at a wall of ice several metres thick, the body as clearly visible.

"What the hell is that?" Gwen shrieked.

Serene opened her mouth, but words failed her. This was beyond anything she had ever seen. This...Thing...Was like no other. "It's...It's..." Serene tried to figure it out but someone answered for her.

"Clare!" Raki emerged from the tunnel and the strange man ran up to the frozen monster and began clawing at it with his meagre fingernails.

"No way! It's an awakened being? That thing doesn't look like anything! It's just...Creepy..." Gwen backed away from the shrivelled beast.

'Clare' had turned out to be a preserved monster, a demon. Her legs looked like armoured hoofs only with large axe-like blades sticking out from the thighs and calves. The body was covered in the same scaly skin most yoma have, though that was the only similarity. One of the arms had bulging muscles and ended in an oversized hand with vicious talons that were larger than any dagger. The other arm was similar but covered in large spines and with a smaller clawed hand. Strange spider-like legs sprouted from the back, ending in massive blades the size of a claymore. They looked like wings in their current position, but that was unlikely, this creature was bred to kill, not to fly. Most disturbing of all was the face, a hideously mutated thing. Oversized fangs forced the jaws to remain open and dull grey flesh covered it. Large, round eyes stared at them. They were bright orange and looked serpentine, similar to those of a yoma...

"Clare!" Raki sobbed pitifully as he punched the ice, trying to free the warrior he seemed to be attached to.

Serene ended his misery and slammed the flat of her blade into the ice, making it crumble and free the sinister looking creature.

And with that, the first step towards impending doom had been taken...

Please review. Your comments are more helpful than you think.


	3. Chapter 3

_Oath_

Four hooded warriors approached the cave where a cave in had recently occurred. Loose rock had crumbled together to form a thick wall, cutting off entry to the large underground tunnel.

The warriors studied the area and began sharing uneasy glances.

"Was it natural?" One of the warriors asked, addressing the question to anyone who knew the answer.

"No...Something must have triggered it. Look." One of the warriors crouched down and pointed a slender finger at a series of strange imprints in the snow. "Footsteps..." She explained.

"Do you think they found it?" Another warrior gasped.

The warrior beside her slapped her in the back of the head and snarled. "Don't call her 'it'! You know damn well what she is!"

"Sorry, Jean." The sore warrior mumbled.

"Damn it!" The one known as Jean growled. "We' had better gather the others. We need to stop those people from doing anything drastic"

The crouched person rose back to her feet and nodded. "Indeed. Gather the others." She grabbed her hood and tore it down to reveal her soft feminine face. Her shoulder length hair consisted of spiked locks. Her silver eyes glanced over at her comrades and she eventually focused on one of them. "Helen, go find the others and bring them back. Take Deneve with you and hurry."

Helen and Deneve both nodded in unison and then ran off into the blizzard.

Jean gazed sideways at the apparent leader of the group. "Shall I get started?"

"Sure. Go ahead. It will take a while for them to get back here anyway."

Jean flexed her wrist and then gripped her sword arm which tightly gripped her large weapon. She began twisting her arm. The process evoked hideous snapping noises as bones twisted and dislocated unnaturally to create a coiled spring out of her own arm. While she underwent her strange task she looked back to her commander.

"So, Miria...What if they uncovered her?"

Miria closed her eyes and thought for a moment before staring forlornly at her friend and comrade. "Most likely, she will have to be destroyed. It was such a sacrifice just to seal her once, doing it again would be impossible."

Jean nodded with a frown. "I see..."

They remained silent for the rest of their wait. The only noise was the mournful sighs of the wind as it blew fiercely against the cave mouth, spraying crisp snow into their faces.

* * *

Inside the cave, Serene continued with her task of freeing what the boy referred to as Clare. She hacked at the thick ice for some time before stepping back and letting the large chunk fall down. The huge block of ice shattered around the edged, further freeing the awakened being.

The two warriors gazed mournfully at their fallen comrade. Though this woman was from a long gone generation, the loss of a fellow warrior always hit hard. No matter how hard they tried to look emotionless, their human sides would always show.

"Clare...What happened to her?" Serene whispered.

The paralysed eyes stared into hers before blinking. Serene's body stiffened and she almost fell over. In the blink of an eye she had drawn her sword and was backing away from the thawed out demon.

"Serene, what happened?" Her comrade asked.

"STAY BACK! IT'S ALIVE!"

The strange man, Raki rose to his feet and smiled. "Clare!"

"NO!"

Raki ran over to the beast and wrapped his arms around it. The two warriors stared in utter shock at the unusual display of affection. This boy was obsessing over a monster...But why?

"Get away from her! She'll kill you if you- Oh shit...We're too late!" Gwen pointed a finger at the long prehensile claws that were beginning to flex and encircle Raki. The beast snarled and the claws wrapped around him with a loud crunching sound.

"Damn! We can't save him. We have to get out of here!" Serene was already sprinting up the tunnel before she finished. Gwen hurried after her, leaving the beast with its prey.

Raki showed no signs of fear as he was entrapped within the clawed limbs tendrils. He stared into the eyes of the demon and a weak smile crossed his face before the claws dug in. He struggled to suppress the agony as the long claws carved up his body.

"Clare...Clare...Please come back..." It seemed being with this girl was bringing back his vocabulary. His simple minded facade had dissipated and now he could speak again, unfortunately this could be the last time he ever spoke if Clare did not stop.

The soulless golden orbs focused on Raki's face and they began to soften, appearing less like the eyes of a demon and gentler, though there was still a long way to go.

Raki however, did not have time to spare. He coughed up a large amount of blood which splattered Clare's face, making her eyes narrow. Somewhere in the back of her tainted mind she could sense the identity of this man. Her lips parted to reveal hideous fangs and she croaked a short, indecipherable sound.

Raki's eyelids drifted shut and he was about to pass out when he brought himself back, determined to see Clare change back.

Clare tried again to speak and this time her raspy voice managed to create a single word, "Raki?" Not speaking for seven years had made her throat tighten and it was incredibly difficult just to say that one word. It had to be divided into the two syllables and said separately. She tried again and slowly she got the hang of speaking. She chanted the name mournfully as she unwillingly drained the life out of the young man.

Raki coughed up a torrent of blood which splattered Clare's mutated face. Her eyes widened and something oozed out of the corner of her eye. Her vicious, clawed hands began to shake nervously and the best collapsed on its equine legs.

"Raki...You're...Alive..." She managed to rasp, her voice becoming softer and less monstrous with every passing second. It seemed the contact with this boy was bringing her back from the edge and making her return to her normal self.

"Clare..." Raki whispered soothingly, fighting back tears. "I...I have searched long and wide...To find you..." The demon's jaw dropped and her skin paled. Raki reached out and stroked the monster's cheek. It was rough as sandpaper and it grazed his palm, but he ignored it. He smiled weakly and resumed his speech. "I had to find you...To tell you...I...Love you..." He tried to widen his smile but blood gushed out and he coughed violently. His whole body spasmed, making his wounds larger and making the internal haemorrhaging worse.

"Raki...No..."

"I...I'm glad...I didn't break the promise." Raki groaned.

Clare began to sob and her clawed tendrils began to retract, letting the boy fall into her mutated arms. She cradled the dying boy and she hugged him to her chest, pleading with him to survive. While she felt his body convulse she remembered the promise they made many years ago...

_Clare stared off into space, sensing the oncoming enemy. She then turned to the badly wounded boy who clung to her desperately. She frowned and came to a decision. _

"_Raki, it is time for us to split up."_

"_What?" Raki cried._

"_I shall head North-East, you North West. There is a town not too far from here." Clare said blankly. _

"_But Clare-"_

"_Ophelia is after me. You will be safe."_

"_But-"_

"_There is no time to argue. Now hurry before she tracks us down!"_

"_No!" Raki roared defiantly. "I want to stay with you!"_

_Clare stared at him in bewilderment. _

"_I know I'm completely useless, but all I want is to be by your side!" Raki screamed, tears pouring from his clouded eyes. "I don't care if you use me as a shield or let me die! As long as I can stay __with you-"_

_Raki was cut off as Clare gently planted her lips on Raki's. She closed her eyes and kissed him softly, but passionately. When she shied away Raki's eyes were wide. She smiled warmly and wiped the tears from his cheeks. _

"_I promise I won't die. I will live on and come find you...So stay alive! I promise we will meet again."_

_Raki sniffed and then a new onset of tears rushed from his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Clare and sobbed. The two met each others gazes and Clare stared deep into the eyes of her companion. They blatantly showed his fears, his concern, his sorrow, pain...the tortures he had endured in life were trapped within the dark brown orbs that stared right back at her..._

Back in the cave, Clare could see the same emotions betrayed in his pained expression. She was more certain than ever now. This was Raki. There was no mistaking it. She had kept her promise...But at what cost?

The almost lifeless boy trembled and fell down in the thin layers of snow that covered the ground. In an instant the puffy white snow turned dark red and the young man grunted from the excruciating pain.

Clare knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his cheek. She stared at the clawed fingers that belonged to her. She then turned and glimpsed her reflection in a chunk of ice. She glared at the monstrously deformed mask that was her face. It was hideous...Truly hideous. She could not live like this. She had to turn back.

"Clare...Turn back...I know you can..." Raki spoke with his eyes closed, the lids too heavy to pry open. He placed a hand on her knee and gave a weak smile before leaning back and ceasing movement.

Clare screamed louder than she ever had before and a heavy aura surrounded her. Blinding light emanated from her body and a sudden surge of energy overcame her. She roared like a denizen of hell and then the light consumed the whole tunnel.

"AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHH!"

Please review. 


	4. Chapter 4

_Revival_

The explosion blew the roof of the cave apart. Great chunks of rock were thrown to the heavens only to come crashing down again like meteors. The cave was torn open from the inside and for the first time in seven long, terrible years Clare saw the bright glimmer of sunlight. It burned her eyes and she had to look away.

The powerful explosion had thrown great plumes of dust and snow into the air creating a mass of swirling clouds which blocked her vision of the surrounding area. The shockwaves unleashed violent tremors which brought the rocky skeletal remains of the cave to the ground, levelling the entire area.

Clare screamed once more, but this time it sounded far different form before. Her voice was almost...Human...She swiped angrily at the swirling snow and realised her hands were soft and pale, with delicate, slender digits. The great claws were no more and neither were the blade-like protrusions on her back. This was all impossible. There was no way she could return to this form! She had gone beyond the limit of returning. She had awakened. She had become a monster...So why? Why was she now standing here on two weak fleshy legs. Why was she back in her natural form?

Someone coughed nearby. Clare whirled around and set her sights on the warrior who was scrambling out of the rubble. When the warrior noticed Clare her eyes went wide and she fell back into the pile of rocks.

"N-No! What the hell? This can't be! How can...How can you be...Normal?"

Clare once again stared at her hands, still in disbelief herself. "I don't understand. I should not be like this."

"Alright! That's it! Who are you? _What _are you?" The young warrior snatched up her sword and held it out in front of herself in a defensive position. Her hands were shaking but that may have been from the cold.

Clare dropped to her knees and cradled the boy, Raki. He had sacrificed himself to save her but now her life would be one of solitude. Without Raki her life would be lacking something important...A sense of belonging.

Clare, much like the other warriors of her generation and any who followed after her all felt isolated from the world they once belonged to. Once human children, yet when they became warriors for the Organisation they became feared by the humans who once raised them. They were despised for the demon blood coursing through their veins and never trusted, for who could trust one with eyes like a demon?

When Raki had encountered her he was not afraid. He idolised her, as if she were a goddess. He looked up to her and wished to be like her. He treated her like a human being unlike anyone else who knew her secret. For Clare that companionship had made her life seem worth living. She vowed to never fall in battle until she could meet again with Raki as they had promised.

The battle in the North was more difficult that she had ever imagined and she had pushed the limits of not only her physical body but her sanity. She had lost it all in the end and became trapped within the body of a bloodthirsty demon. She had awakened in order to save herself and her comrades, but even that was not enough.

An entire generation of warriors were massacred in the accursed town of Pieta. No matter how valiantly they fought, the organised invasion by so many awakened beings proved beyond their capabilities.

Clare bowed her head in shame. She had failed her comrades and Raki. She may not have broken her promise, but she had broken his body. He was as good as dead. The only other way to save him would be...

Clare's eyes narrowed. She jumped to her feet, still carrying Raki. The warrior was joined by another and the two stared at her in confusion. They were unsure whether to attack or let her go.

"Who are you?" The stronger of the two demanded.

Clare was about to answer when someone else spoke for her. "Her name is Clare." It was a voice she had nearly forgotten over the many years but in the back of her mind she found a name to fit the voice.

"Jean." Clare looked around and spotted her old comrade standing atop a pile of rubble. She leapt down beside Clare and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It has been too long Clare." She smiled thinly and then turned back to the strangers. "She is a warrior like us, but her powers are superior to yours."

"Shut up!" The weaker, headstrong girl snapped. "What are you names and ranks? I've never even seen you before!"

"I am from a generation past. As are the others." Jean waved a hand to a once vacant patch of snow which was now taken up by several other warriors. "I am Jean; this is Miria, Helen and Deneve."

"Wait a second...That name." The leader frowned. "Phantom Miria? Is it really you?"

The former number 7 vanished in the blink of an eye and appeared behind the two warriors. "Of course." When Serene looked back to the others the phantom of Miria still stood there.

"But you were killed in the war..."

"That is what we made the Organisation think. The truth is we are going to destroy the organisation for the crimes they have committed. They will learn the price of their betrayal!" Miria drew her sword against the two girls. "I guess that makes us enemies."

Serene backed away and swung her sword at the air. "Stay back. I have no desire to fight one such as you!"

"So are you friend or foe?" Miria asked. "Know that your answer may seal your fate."

Serene bowed to the legendary fighter. "I apologise Phantom Miria but we must return to the Organisation. I promise to not bring up your existence as long as you do not harm us and grant us safe passage."

Clare approached the two of them, holding the dying boy in her arms. "Please...Take Raki back to the Organisation."

"What?" Helen gasped. "Do you know what they'll do to him if he falls into their hands?"

Clare nodded sombrely. "But it is the only way to save him...They will turn him into one of us, a warrior. Only then will I be able to see him again and thank him for all he has done."

Serene shook her head. "I cannot do that. We are not able to make requests such as that to the Organisation."

Clare closed her eyes. "You are wrong. They will make a warrior out of anyone who asks. I know because I was the one who asked them to recruit me."

Serene gasped. As far as she had known all Claymores were selected at random from neighbouring villages. No-one had ever wanted to be a claymore and so they had never received volunteers...So why would this girl have done so?

Serene cursed under her breath. "Very well. I suppose we all are indebted to warriors such as you. If you had not been here in Pieta this world would have fallen to the Yoma. But with this request our debt is repaid."

"Very well." Miria placed her sword back in its scabbard on her back. "Make haste. Raki's life is quickly draining away."

Clare bowed to the two warriors. "Thank you."

Serene bowed in return and then set off taking the unconscious boy with them. When their yoki could no longer be sensed the other warriors all gathered around Clare.

"You're alive. We thought you were done for!" Helen beamed. She slapped her friend on the back and laughed. "It's great to see you in your normal form. You scared the crap out of me when you awakened."

"It took a lot of effort to seal you. We were afraid you would not wake again and if you did by some chance you would run amok and bring an end to us all. We were terribly worried so we kept constant vigil on this mountain." Jean explained.

"But in the meantime we have been training. I'm sure you remember our promise to destroy the organisation together?" Miria asked.

Clare nodded. "We were surrounded. We were on the verge of defeat and we made a pact to destroy the organisation for the wrongs they had committed. I remember fully."

Miria smiled. "Well now that you are alive and well it seems it is nearly time to exact our vengeance."

"Yeah! We'll crush them!" Helen cheered, energetic as always. It seems even after her seven year absence her friends had not changed one bit. They were the same people she had grown to trust and respect. It seemed the ravages of time had forgotten to affect her friends and for that she was glad.

"But first you will have to train." Deneve interjected. "You have been sealed away for years and you might have lost your touch in that time. We will spend some time rebuilding your skills before we attack the Organisation."

Miria nodded and placed a hand on Clare's shoulder. "Plus it will give them time to save Raki before we swoop in and attack their stronghold."

Clare nodded. She looked around for her sword and found it on the ground nearby. She picked it up and was surprised at the weight of the weapon. She truly had lost her skills while she was frozen. Her muscles had not been active for so long they had not adjusted to the weight of the weapon.

Clare swung the sword around at invisible enemies for a while, slowly regaining the feel for the large two handed sword. Eventually she could use it with just one hand as most Claymores could. It was an extraordinary feat of strength that humans could not manage. The Yoma blood inside each and every warrior gave them strength beyond that of mortals, making them capable of fighting the monstrous creatures which prowled the land.

While Clare practiced the others watched on.

"How is this possible?" Helen asked. "She was fully awakened and yet here she is looking just like a regular warrior."

"She truly has been brought back form the brink, but I too am confused as to how she did it." Miria frowned. "Maybe Raki's presence revived a spark in her mind and gave her the ability to suppress her Yoki like we all learned to do."

Jean had a vivid recollection of how Clare helped her return from her own awakening. It was the moment that had made her indebted to Clare for the rest of her life. She nodded grimly and returned to watching her friend spar with the ghosts in the snow.

_This may seem like a miracle. But I feel something terrible will happen soon enough. I do not believe we have seen the last of Clare's awakened side...And next time we may not be able to save her. I hope I am wrong, but my heart tells me the worst is yet to come..._


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, first off let me appologise for the dreadfully long delay since my last chapter. It's been over two years since the last chapter and for that I am sorry, but to everyone who has been patient I thank you. I ensure you that there will be no more two year hiatus on this story ever again and also I will confirm that this story shall never become a dead fic! No matter how long it takes I will finish this story so please be patient. Anyway now that that is all said and done please enjoy this long over-due installment and remember to review!

* * *

_Request_

In the darkest recess of a hollowed out mountain, a network of winding tunnels and immense underground caverns served as the headquarters for the Organisation. Within the secret space lay the heart of the Claymore program. In this cold dark realm far from the refuge of the outside world, warriors were born, bred and trained. The mountain posed as a secret production line of yoma slaying monsters however none outside of the Organisation had discovered it and lived to tell the tale.

Gwen and Serene paused outside the mountain, staring at the delicately carved entrance to the cave system within. Several warriors stood on guard and stared blankly at their sisters-in-arms as they passed by. Their gaze would not have lingered a second longer had they not noticed the young man cradled in Gwen's arms.

Two crossed blades clashed between them and Gwen and Serene were forced to back away from the guards.

"It is forbidden to bring unauthorised guests inside. What is your business with that thing!" so snarled the older of the guards.

Serene closed her eyes and sighed. "He is a boy from a village in the North. He has some information regarding the battle at Pieta long ago that the Organisation would seek to benefit from. Stand down and let us through."

"What is there to know about Pieta? Our warriors were slaughtered and the mission was an abysmal failure! What can a child at death's door tell us that we couldn't gather ourselves?"

"Trust me sister, his knowledge is vital to our mission to eradicate the yoma. I insist you let us pass."

The two guards shared sidelong glances and hesitantly withdrew. The older cursed in derision as Serene strolled past with a dignified air of calm. Gwen hurried alongside her, the wounded Raki still in her arms.

They proceeded deep inside the mountain to one of the darker caverns. Why it was so dark there could only be guessed, but it was something most preferable to anyone who had business there. A cloaked figure slumped over a long, wide slab of stone, muttering to himself in a rattling hiss of a voice, like a snake observing its prey.

Serene and Gwen eyed him curiously as they entered his chamber.

"Dae?"

The cloaked man craned his neck to see over his shoulder, the movement flinging his hood back to reveal a face so hideously scarred. The flesh on the left side was stripped away to reveal grisly muscle tissue and raw red skin. Like melted wax, his flesh dripped down across his cheek causing his skin to sag. His left eye remained open wide and glaring with no lids to close around and protect it. No lips existed, exposing rotten yellow teeth and discoloured gums stretched tight over the very bones of his jaw.

His fleshless expression was hard to read, but one could guess he was smiling from the manner in which he chuckled at their arrival, despite the very fact that his laughter was more akin to the scuttling of a thousand beetles. His bulging eyeball rolled around in its shallow socket to fall upon the wounded boy.

"Have you brought me a gift?"

Gwen set Raki down and bowed in unison with Serene. Warriors rarely made the gesture to their superiors in the Organisation, facing them with the same cold apathy as their clients. The act surprised Dae and roused him from his macabre business painted blood upon the table.

His cloak swept across the floor as he moved, sweeping up a trail of dust in his wake.

"You even go so far as to bow before me. To what do I owe such attention from your kind?"

"We have a request," Stated Serene, her voice as stone. "We wish this child to be turned to a warrior like us."

The two claymore winced in anticipation of Dae's revolting rusted laughter. As he laughed the webbed strands of flesh congealing around the corners of his mouth split apart to allow his jaws to open wider. A tongue of steel grey writhed about in the discoloured bed of his gums.

"You beseech me to craft a warrior from this dying lamb? You are not responsible for selecting our recruits, nor should you be so bold as to request a male warrior. Surely you are aware of the reason such things ceased long ago. Nonetheless, your visit has been one of many surprises. To ask of me such things there must be good reason..."

"Please sir, we beg of you!" Serene dropped to her knees as she pleaded. The boy at her feet moaned and through clenched teeth let out a pained cry.

"Clare...Clare..." He chanted the name as he had done back in the cave. The boy wrapped his arms around his damaged frame and let out a jarring shudder. He looked far worse than he had when their journey started, but Claymores knew little of human first aid and so his injuries were left largely untended. Infusing youki into a human could not heal as it could among the warriors. All they could do was bandage his wounds, but the cloths binding his injuries had long turned filthy and harbouring infection. The boy would die before the sun rise of the following day if not for treatment.

To uphold their oath with the lost warriors of the Organisation's failed Northern campaign they were entrusted to save Raki and see to it that he became a warrior. An oath among comrades was sacred and so Gwen and Serene swore to protect him.

They remained silent, prostrating themselves before their superior. Dae however was more preoccupied with the boy writhing on the ground before him. His face twisted in a hideous display of joy, his smile more sinister than his scowl. "We shall see what the boy is capable of," he rasped. "It has been a long time since I've experimented on a male specimen, thus I shall concede this once. However be aware that to ask a favour of me requires payment..." He grinned at the two warriors and licked his bare teeth.

Gwen shuddered and bowed her head, "Understood sir. Our greatest thanks."

Dae waved their praise aside and began studying Raki. The warriors bade their leave, glad to be out of sight of the insidious beast and his vile machinations.

* * *

Far in the North, the seven ghosts of the Northern campaign assembled on the frozen grounds that served the tomb for their fellow warriors. They shared sombre glances upon the grave markers, honouring the many fallen heroes whose blood had once burned hot upon the icy plateau at their feet.

"Look upon this tragic scene...Remember that day seven years ago for now and forever. Let it be a reminder of why we seek to destroy the Organisation!" Miria thrust her sword towards the heavens and beckoned her fellow Claymore to join her.

Standing in a close circle they all crossed blades and let their battle cry rise to the skies above.

Clare studied her sword with fascination, slowly recalling the fierce battles she had gone through as her time as a warrior. She had fought the greatest of demons to be able to stand on this ground on this very day. She had crossed the blazing pits of Hell to once again plant her feet upon the crisp snow of Pieta.

The suffering and pain, not only from the ill-fated battle of Pieta, but the death of Theresa as well, all were traced back to the Organisation. Their hands had been stained in the blood of countless innocents, spreading their poisonous influence to the lives of all who served their 'noble cause'. Clare swore to herself to destroy the bastard sons of the devil who had brought ruin to her life and those around her.

The Organisation would pay for their crimes in blood!

"Clare," Miria barked, brandishing her broadsword, "It is time to train."

Clare nodded and assumed a defensive stance. Miria lunged forward and hacked down upon her friend. Clare used an equal amount of force to swing her blade up in the face of the incoming weapon, the resulting clash leading to a deadlock of crossed swords. Each stared impassively into the other's eyes, expressions blank as they fought.

Miria leapt back a few paces and rushed in again. Clare spun on her heels and guarded against the phantom's assault from behind. She backed away a few paces and focused on dodging and blocking the incoming storm of blows from her stronger opponent. Miria's offensive capabilities were truly impressive, more than enough to earn her former rank of number six. However her time spent training in the long seven years after the Northern campaign allowed her to surpass her former abilities, now stronger than any warrior in the organisation's current ranks.

Clare had been left behind, but over the month since she had been released from her frozen prison she had trained rigorously, day in and day out to catch up to her comrades. She had begun to remember the quick-sword technique learned from Elena. The phantom limb had been less than responsive at first but slowly she had regained the ability to use it. Nonetheless, no matter how fast she struck, Clare could not land a blow upon Miria.

Allowing her friend to go on the counter-offensive, Miria paused long enough to give Clare the chance to fight back. They sparred for several hours, interchanging between offence and defence, until Clare was down on her hands and knees, panting like a hound.

"Enough. You have done well. You've recovered your strength with remarkable speed. Your strength is still limited, but you are certainly on par with most single digit warriors. Once you are equal to the top five we shall launch our attack on the Organisation. Until then I shall train with you every day. Understood?"

"Yes...Thank you..." Clare wheezed.

As soon as she had recovered and eaten, Deneve approached her, drawing two swords from the modified scabbard on her back. "Alright Clare, stand up! Come!"

Taking a deep breath Clare rose to her feet and rushed into her next training session.

Over the course of the day, every single day, Clare trained with each member of their group. Deneve focused on defence, forcing Clare to endure her furious double-bladed onslaughts. Miria honed her youki sensing in battle, the only way to evade her phantom attacks. She also tested her endurance with awakening as well as mastering the quicksword. Tabitha and Cynthia taught her healing techniques and how to track enemies via youki while Jean and Helen taught her offensive manoeuvres. Yuma, due to her limited ability, sparred with Clare to give each of them more combat experience.

Spurred on by her oath with Raki and her growing rage against the Organisation, Clare devoted everything she had into her training. Though every night she would collapse exhausted by their camp and remain unconscious until morning, Clare could feel herself getting stronger. Each passing day she could feel the difference in strength between her and her comrades closing.

Soon she would be ready.

'shunk.'

Deneve's second sword sliced down through her shoulder sending a vibrant crimson rain to splatter across the pearl-white snow. Clare cursed and pushed her opponent back, but Deneve did not relent, charging in once again, swinging both swords wildly. Clare tried to sense her youki but focusing on both swords' arcs was difficult under the strain of her injuries. With no other choice she fled to a safe distance and concentrated as hard as she could on Deneve's approaching form.

Deneve leapt high into the air and brought both swords down with all her might. Clare side-stepped out of their range and wrought her claymore up through her assailant's side and out through her opposing shoulder. Deneve relinquished one sword and hastily launched a counter-offensive while healing her injuries simultaneously. Over the seven years of her training she had learned to juggle both in unison allowing her to continue fighting even when gravely wounded.

Clare feigned a strike to the left and followed through on the right, but Deneve saw through her ploy and guarded against it, then thrusting her boot into her stomach. Clare was thrown back and collapsed to her knees. She dug her sword into the ground and used it to support herself as she got back on her feet.

Deneve let out a mighty war-cry and threw herself at her opponent, slamming her blade down on Clare's other shoulder, however Clare used her quick sword to disarm her foe before the strike could land and then as her unarmed assailant fell she thrust her sword at her throat.

The tip of her blade hovered a hair's breadth from her pale throat, forcing her to come to a dead stop lest she be run through Clare's sword. With a nervous smile she dropped her one remaining Claymore and extended her hand to shake.

"Well done. You beat me fair and square."

This was the first time Clare had beat Deneve during their bouts.

_Soon...Soon Raki...I will come for you!_


End file.
